Cartoon with quake victims under lasagna angers Italians

ROME – A French satirical weekly's cartoon depicting victims of last week's earthquake in Italy under layers of lasagna has angered some in the country.

The Italian news agency ANSA quoted the mayor of Amatrice, the hardest-hit town where more than 230 bodies were found after the Aug. 24 quake, as calling the cartoon "tasteless and embarrassing." Mayor Sergio Pirozzi said on Friday while he welcomes irony, it shouldn't come at the expense of the dead. He added that he is sure the cartoon doesn't reflect the true feelings of the French people.

The quake in the central Apennines Mountain region claimed nearly 300 lives, injured hundreds of people and left thousands of residents homeless when several towns and hamlets were devastated.